Murder charges filed against gunmen in killing of Palawan lawyer
MANILA, Philippines — Police have filed supplemental murder charges against nine suspects—one of them a police officer—over an ambush that left a lawyer in Palawan dead, the Philippine National Police said Thursday.
Eric Jay Magcamit was shot dead by two gunmen in Narra, Palawan on the morning of Tuesday, November 17, while he was on his way to a hearing.
He was 35 years old and is the 52nd lawyer killed during the Duterte administration.
READ: Palawan lawyer killed on his way to hearing
In a statement, the Philippine National Police said that among those indicted is Police SMSgt Ariel Pareja, who is now under restrictive custody of the Palawan Police Provincial Office.
Among the respondents in the charges filed before the Palawan Provincial Prosecutor’s Office were Jazer del Rosario, Marcelino Quioyo, and six other John Does.
Police Brig. Gen. Pascual Muñoz, Mimaropa regional director, said in a police report that Pareja was "moonlighting as a bodyguard for Quioyo, who is involved in a court case over a land dispute where Magcamit is representing the other party."
Administrative charges are also being prepared against Pareja based on his indictment in the murder case, the PNP statement also said.
In a separate statement, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Palawan chapter condemned the killing as an “attack on the legal order and justice system by means of fear and violence.”
— with reports from Kristine Joy Patag
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